[ Outwardly on the streets of Shehui, there aren't that many changes in effect in accordance with what happened during the Sunsu festival - people are still going to work and to school, spending their days as normal as they always have - but the questions and the curious staring gaze is more obvious now, enough that even Mika feels it . Even in a place like this, as carefree as it was, there are invisible lines drawn across that cannot be crossed. Here, still, they are strangers yet again.
Their stay here is only but temporary, that much Mika understands - the island that he was briefly introduced to before is the origin for Qri and her servants, their home, but it's nothing more than a brief, hazy series of images and half-memories. That's not their home either. What they are seeking is somewhere ahead of them, just out of reach, or maybe they just need to trace their steps backward to those crooked dirty streets. Simple human warmth, maybe, an idea that it could be something more.
The earth is warm too as Mika carefully works the spade into it, concentrating on digging up the flowering plant without damaging it so that he can transfer it into the pot sitting nearby. The weird atmosphere of the city doesn't deter him from going to his assigned detail, and maybe it's some kind of dedication but also it's partially out of rare, personal interest. Ever since Geir introduced him to this particular garden, he hasn't missed a day once - and Orga being here now doesn't necessarily mean that he would stop now, unless the other boy said differently.
The ground is soft enough for his knees to sink in where he's kneeling down, different from the hard, downtrodden ground of Mars - it's a stark contrast to the dusty soils that he's used to back home.
Finally, the transferring done and the peony bush settled securely into the pot, Mika straightens up and tilts his head to glance sidelong to where Orga is, presumably waiting. ]
(wildcards in here)
Their stay here is only but temporary, that much Mika understands - the island that he was briefly introduced to before is the origin for Qri and her servants, their home, but it's nothing more than a brief, hazy series of images and half-memories. That's not their home either. What they are seeking is somewhere ahead of them, just out of reach, or maybe they just need to trace their steps backward to those crooked dirty streets. Simple human warmth, maybe, an idea that it could be something more.
The earth is warm too as Mika carefully works the spade into it, concentrating on digging up the flowering plant without damaging it so that he can transfer it into the pot sitting nearby. The weird atmosphere of the city doesn't deter him from going to his assigned detail, and maybe it's some kind of dedication but also it's partially out of rare, personal interest. Ever since Geir introduced him to this particular garden, he hasn't missed a day once - and Orga being here now doesn't necessarily mean that he would stop now, unless the other boy said differently.
The ground is soft enough for his knees to sink in where he's kneeling down, different from the hard, downtrodden ground of Mars - it's a stark contrast to the dusty soils that he's used to back home.
Finally, the transferring done and the peony bush settled securely into the pot, Mika straightens up and tilts his head to glance sidelong to where Orga is, presumably waiting. ]
Orga, are you bored?